At Least 2 Dead After Plane Slides Off Runway, Crashes into Vehicle and Then Plummets in the Ocean Nearby

NEED TO KNOW

• At least two people are dead after a plane ventured off a runway, hit a car and landed in the ocean

• An Emirates Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed as it was arriving from Dubai at the Hong Kong International Airport

• Photos taken of the aftermath show the aircraft partially submerged in water

At least two people are dead after a plane ventured off a runway, hit a car and landed in the ocean.

An Emirates Boeing 747 cargo plane — identified as EK9788 and operating as Aerotranscargo — crashed just before 4 a.m. local time on Monday, Oct. 20, as it was arriving from Dubai at the Hong Kong International Airport, according to ABC News, Reuters and the BBC, which cited airport authorities.

The plane struck a car on the runway, and both the vehicle and the aircraft plummeted into the ocean at the same time. Two workers in the vehicle died. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was declared deceased after being taken to a local hospital, per the outlets.

Investigators believe the plane struck the car as it veered off the runway. Four employees aboard the plane survived and were taken to a nearby hospital, the outlets said.

Photos taken of the aftermath show the aircraft partially submerged in water near the airport’s sea wall. The plane’s inflatable escape slide was deployed, and the nose and tail sections of the plane separated.

Emirates confirmed to Reuters that its plane was leased from and operated by ACT Airlines, a Turkish carrier that provides extra cargo capacity to major airlines.

“Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard,” the airline told the outlet in a statement.

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Flight tracking information obtained by Reuters stated that the aircraft was 32 years old and had previously been used as a passenger plane.

Emirates and ACT Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Local media has reported that Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service deployed helicopters above the affected runway, and Fire Services Department vessels also assisted with the rescue operations.

Investigators have not yet shared what caused the plane to skid off the runway.

According to the BBC, the incident marks a rare occurrence at the Hong Kong airport, as the facility has good safety records.

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